I went to visit Fort Bayard located near Santa Clara, New Mexico. This is not what I expected to find. Seems that not much is left from the fort itself. The grounds and some history placques are left. The area was rebuilt in the early 1900s as a tuberculosis hospital and recovery area. It was under the Veterans Administration at that point.
I love abandoned buildings, so I explored the area. All houses and other buildings have no trespassing signs. Someone else who was exploring told me that the buildings all have asbestos in them and that's why they were abandoned. I don't know if it's true, but there was quite a bit of asbestos used in buildings years ago.
During World War II, there were German prisoners of war held here. They were put to work as they were guarded by soldiers.
It seems that only one street has been maintained, as I was driving around, this street actually had water sprinklers on the lawns. This area still needs work, but the nicest one is the museum, which is open with limited hours.
By the 1950s new drugs had been developed to control tuberculosis, so the hospital was closed in the mid 1960s. The State of New Mexico is now responsible for administration of the area.
Near these buildings, the cemetery is well kept and has been named a National Cemetery.
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